This invention relates to a system that is attachable to a conventional bicycle for safely carrying a bicycle passenger, especially a child of preschool age.
It is well known in the art to provide auxiliary seats or carriers to standard bicycle frames. For example Collins, U.S. Pat. No. 579,514, Reminger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,532 and Murrell, U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,200, all disclose some type of seat or carrier means mounted to the upper horizontal tubular frame member of a standard bicycle. In these patents, the auxiliary seats have platform-like bottom portions mounted in various manners to rest directly upon the upper horizontal frame member of the bicycle. These auxiliary seats must utilize seat designs that are quite unlike the conventional bicycle seats that are commonly available. Furthermore, because of the proximity of the auxiliary seat to the knees of the primary rider of the bicycle, the rider must adjust his normal pedalling motion to avoid striking or scraping the seat or the passenger with his knee.
In transporting small children in an auxiliary seat it is important that the child resist the somewhat dangerous, albeit natural, tendency to touch his or her toe to the moving front wheel or spokes. Additionally, a child's free-swinging feet can interfere with steering the bicycle and be more likely to be injured in the event of a sliding fall.
With the above-noted problems in mind, this invention provides for an auxiliary support system for a bicycle passenger wherein a seat mount assembly can be quickly and easily clamped to the horizontal tubular member of the bicycle frame and provide a mounting post upon which a conventional bicycle seat can be mounted. The entire seat mount assembly is only slightly larger than the horizontal frame member and provides for positioning a conventionally designed auxiliary seat up and away from the frame member, so that the normal pedalling motion of the rider is not impeded.
The support system of the present invention combines with the seat mount assembly a footrest assembly that can be quickly and easily attached to the vertical neck portion of a bicycle frame that supports the fork. The child's feet are supported on the footrest assembly up and away from the legs of the rider. Furthermore, harnesses are supplied which adjustably secure the foot of the passenger to the footrest assembly so that the child can safely retain his balance while being prevented from unsafely dangling his feet.